Ceremonial Teahouse

Philadelphia Museum of Art

This building was designed and built around 1917
by a famous Japanese architect and tea master named
Ōgi Rodō (oh-ghi ro-doe) on the grounds of his home
in Tokyo. He combined natural materials with parts of
an older building, such as the wooden signboard with
Japanese writing that reads Sunkaraku (sun-kah-rah-ku).
“Sun” means momentary, “ka” means free time, and
“raku” means enjoyment. Together they can be
translated as “fleeting joys.”